Life Story of Ane Thomasen Laursen

LIFE STORY OF ANE THOMPSEN LAURSEN
Wife of Peter Laursen
Born 22 April 1796
to Thomas Andersen and Mette Marie Madsen
written by Eva W. Proctor,
second great granddaughter
17 November 1961
     In the little town of Albet, Hjorring, Denmark, a little girl was born to Thomas Andersen and Mette Marie Madsen.  She was the first child of this young couple, and to them, the 22nd of March, 1796, was the most beautiful spring day they were to know.
     Albet was also called Vester Hassing because of its vast fields of peet, and the shipping ports nearby.  From here, the peet was shipped out to other places, where it was used to burn, making power to run factories, and to be used as we do coal.  Peet is a substance that forms in the lowlands of the Scandinavian countries, and the Island of Hjorring, Denmark is one of the richest places for this high-grade peet.  The Thomas Andersen property was noted for it, and also for its good pasture grounds.
     Ane Thomina, as she was called by family and friends, grew up with the love of her two brothers, Anders and Soren.  They learned to be grateful for their lovely home, and to be faithful to God.  With their little sister, Ane Catrine, their parents taught them that idle hands were the devil’s workshop, so they were a happy, industrious family like all the people about them.
     In the early spring of 1819, Ane met Peter Laursen from Volstrup, a town not many miles away.  He was the son of Laurs Pedersen and Maren Madsen, very good friends of her parents.  He was, indeed, a very good farmer-owning land, cattle, sheep, and many geese.  It was a quick romance, and on the 17th of May, they were married in the Lutheran church of Volstrup, Hjorring, Denmark.  They built one of the finest houses in that location, and set about the business of home building, and raising a family of six daughters, and one son.  As was the custom in Denmark, the children would add “sen” to their father’s first name.  Thus the children of Ane and Peter Laursen would be known as the Petersen children throughout their lives.
     Their first child, a little daughter, was born on July 30, 1820, and christened Maren Catrine.  How sad they were when two months and 28 days later, she died.  It was a disappointment for Ane Thomina; but the next year, another little girl was born, and they named her Mette Marie.  They treasured her so, and Maren and Anna Margarette were born three years apart.  They were overjoyed!  Even more so four years later when the one and only son was born on the April 3, 1830. There was indeed, happiness in the Petersen home now that a son had been born.  They named him Laurs Petersen.  Their joy was to be dampened in the next April, just a year later.  The yellow fever, like a thief in the night, came and took its toll in the city of Volstrup; and the Petersen family were to taste of it also.  Night and day, loving care was given, but it was too much for Mette Marie, and she died on April 26, 1831, just a sweet little girl of not quite ten years of age.  Anna Margarette was also afflicted, and she never entirely recovered until another siege came back, and she passed away on December 7, 1833.
     Now they were back to Maren 10, and Laurs 3.  Then a dear little daughter, Ane Thomina came to fill the loss in their hearts on August 16, 1833.  She was, indeed, a welcome addition, and big sister, Maren, was overjoyed.  She would hardly let this little sister out of her sight.
     A little over eight years later in March, a terrible wind storm sent father away to the shipyards to help fight the terrible tidal wave that was destroying so many valuable cargo vessels loaded with peet and other products.  Mother was left home with her little brood.  Father had been gone four days, and it was up to 18-year-old Maren, to assist when baby sister was born on the 6th day of March.  Father was so proud of his little family, and as was the custom, he took his new little daughter to the church to have her christened and named.  They chose Ane Kirstine to be her name; and she was a very welcome addition to their family.
     Maren had grown into a very lovely young lady, and was now preparing herself for marriage.  When Niels Christian Christensen came from Agersted looking for property to buy, having been sent to the Peter Laursen place with knowledge that they had land for sale, he was made very welcome.  They were, indeed, happy to talk about selling land to him.  Laurs, the only boy, now seventeen, was a great deal of help, but there was still too much property for him and father to handle alone.  Maren was needed in the home with mother, and the other little girls were much too young to go out and help in the fields.  Peter and Ane felt that Niels had been guided to their door, and especially when Maren and he became such good friends.  Early in the spring of 1827, they were married.  Father gave them property, and along with what Niels had brought, they settled down close by to make their home.  It was a great deal of help to mother and father.
     Life seemed to be going pretty well.  Maren and Niel’s four children were in and out to visit their grandparents.  They were:  Ane Marie, Hans Christen, Mareia Christena, and Ane Margaretta-the parents were very proud of them.  In the early part of December, the father, Peter Laursen became very sick.  The fever was raging again, and hardly had he been taken to his bed than he passed away.
     This seemed the end for mother.  If it hadn’t been that Laurs was going on 29 years, and was able to handle the place by himself, she could never have changed her life so completely.  The newfound church and missionaries seemed to be a great comfort to her.  So, with Ane Thoma 26, and Kirstina 17, she joined the church, and planned to leave her native Denmark and go to America, where so many of her friends had already gone.  Even against the protest of her son, Laurs, and her son-in-law, Niels, her happiness was with the church and was the very thing she wanted.  So many things had happened, and she must have a new life in this new land.  Maren and her daughters, Mareina Christena, and Margaretta were happy for this dear mother, and wished them Godspeed.
     They were three of 750 Mormons to leave England for America on the 11th day of May in 1860 on the William Tapscott vessel.  312 Scandinavian saints and 85 saints from Switzerland were on board the ship.  They were one month and five days on the water.  A Swiss family by the name of Staheli were very good singers, and their son, John, was very good at playing the horn to accompany them; their music kept everyone entertained.
     They were very happy on the 16th day of June, when they landed in New York, but still happier when they boarded the train where they were to ride to Florence, Nebraska, and join the companies going to Utah and their destination.
     Ane and her daughters brought their spinning wheels, loom, and wool carders with them from Denmark without too much trouble; but now in Florence, Nebraska, it was another problem to get them over the plans to Zion. The company to which they were assigned was the tenth and last to cross the plains by handcarts.  The captain of the company was Oscar O. Stoddard, and the company was composed of 126 persons, 22 handcarts, and three provision wagons drawn by oxen.  It was out of the question to think they could bring the loom and spinning wheels in the handcarts.  The two copper soap kettles were a different ting-they could be used for cooking, but “where there is a will, there is a way”.  Their good friends, Niels Peter Larsen, and his good wife Karen Kristine Swensen and four children had planned to joint the party with some extra wagons, and they would bring the loom and spinning wheels with them.  Ane promised the Larsens that the first material and blankets she would weave would be theirs.
     The night before they were to leave, Niels and Karen’s baby became very sick, and they were to stay in Florence until it could recover.  The party went on without them.  But the dear little one became worse, and a week later, he died.  They were very sad at losing their little son, just one year old, but they were anxious to continue their journey to Zion.  So, as soon as more families and more wagons could be prepared, they were on their way, just an independent group of saints.
     Ten days of travel had passed since the handcart company had left.  The wagons could travel much faster, but still the handcart company was about half of the way when the wagons caught up with them.  Ane Thomasen Laursen and her daughters were indeed happy to see them, and also sad that the Larsens had lost their child  Ane reminded them that “the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away”, and that someday all would be well.  She believed strongly that the little ones, and her good husband she had lost in Denmark would be joined with her and their loved ones when she could prepare a way for them in this land of Zion.
     It was in August when the party entered Immigration Canyon.  The Swiss families were thrilled with the mountains, but it was hot and dry, and they were very tired and hungry.  The relief company from Salt Lake looked very good to them when they showed up about sundown with a good supper.  After a good night’s rest, they were overjoyed the next day when they entered the Salt Lake Valley, and were greeted by their many friends who had come to Zion before them.
     Ane and her two daughters, Ane Tomina, and Ane Kirstine, joined the Larsens and others to make their home in the Utah Valley.  They arrived in Pleasant Grove on the 1st of September.  Oh, what a beautiful valley with its lakes and mountains on the west and towering peaks on the east. To these tired and weary Scandinavian saints, this beautiful little town was indeed the answer to their prayers.  It seemed that all the hardships and sadness of leaving their native land were far behind them.
     Jens Christensen Cornum and his father helped them to build a two-room adobe house just north of the cemetery.  They all worked hard to finish it before winter set in, so they could set up their looms, and be about the business of making a living.  They set about gathering wool by promising to make yard and weaving it into blankets for people.  Of course, the first to receive their blankets and material was the Larsen family, as they had been promised.
     The spinning wheel was never idle, and by the next spring, they were all caught up with their weaving and carding.  Now mother felt she could spare Ane Kristine, and she went to help the William Fletcher Reynolds family.  The mother, Anna Hawley, had died and left six children:  Ellis 14, William 12, George Washington 10, Ann Eliza 8, James Cynis 5, and Sara Elizabeth who was only 2.  They all loved her very much, and after a few months, they convinced her that she should become their mother and wife.  It didn’t take much coaxing, as she loved them too, and on the 27th of October, 1861, William Fletcher Reynolds and Ane Kristine Petersen were married.
     Ane Kristine was happy when her own little daughter, Anna Elizabeth, was born the 23rd of August, 1862, but they were all sad again when two days later, she died.  The next fall, they moved to Mt. Pleasant, San Pete County.  There, another little girl, Laura Alice was born.  She lived just one year.  The other children were very good and understanding, and Kristine was grateful for them.  Ellis, who was studying to be a nurse and doctor, was especially helpful when their family was blessed with six more children:  Clara Cornelia, Lillian Elnora, Asa Fletcher, Carlos Marion, William Ervin, and Levi William.
     In 1862, Ane Thomina married Jens Christensen (Cornum).  They were a great help and comfort to mother Ane, especially when they settled in Pleasant Grove.  They raised six loving children:  Anne Tomina, Jens Christensen, Paul Heber, Elsie Marie, Peter Elija, and Mary.  They were always close by to care for their grandmother when she needed them.  In 18990, the family moved to Sanford, Colorado, where the father, Jens Christensen Cornum obtained work.
     It was a happy day in 1875 when Ane Thomasen Laursen welcomed her granddaughter, Mareia Christena to Zion.  She had joined the church against her father’s wishes, although her dear mother, Maren Laursen Petersen, was anxious to join her own mother, daughter, and two sisters in Zion.  This dear mother never lived to see this happen; she died in the spring of 1877, and was laid to rest in Pleasant Grove, the little town she loved.
     Her granddaughter, Mareia Christena and her husband, Morituze Peter Anderson, cared for her, and she left them her home, where their first son, Andrew Alma, was born.